In the processing of baker's dough, dough is usually made up by feeding raw dough and a liquid into a pressure pump, and the pump advances the dough through various stages toward an oven. For example, the dough from the pressure pump might pass through a developer that stretches the gluten of the dough, and then through a metering pump where the pressure of the dough is increased and stabilized. The dough passes from the metering pump through a scaling distribution manifold that divides the oncoming dough into several dough streams. The dough streams then pass through a cut-off device that cuts the oncoming dough streams into smaller pieces, the pieces being suitable for baking as biscuits, buns, hot dog buns, etc. Examples of some of these components are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,270,070, 5,283,074, 5,356,652, 4,008,025, 4,306,850, 4,332,538, 4,449,908, and 4,948,611. Prior art dough distribution manifolds are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,350,290, 5,356,652 and 6,303,168.
One of the major requirements in operating dough handling equipment is that the equipment be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. Typically, this means that the operation of the equipment must be terminated and the residual dough removed from the interior surfaces of the equipment. The various mixers, developers, valves, distribution manifolds, and cut-off devices have internal surfaces that contact the dough. The various equipment pieces must be opened so that their internal surfaces that were contacted by the dough are exposed and accessible for a cleanup procedure. For example, the cleanup procedure may be at the end of a day's work, when the type of dough being processed is changed, or when pathogens are likely to be developed in the equipment, etc.
With regard to dough distribution manifolds, the dough is moved into a chamber where it typically is engaged by divider blades that guide separate dough streams to a plurality of outlet ports, changing the entrance stream into a plurality of outlet streams that proceed in parallel to a cut-off device for cutting the streams into dough segments that are rounded and baked into buns, etc.
Typically, a dough distribution manifold is difficult to properly inspect, maintain and clean. The usual presence of the dough divider blades, multiple small channels through which the dough moves, and devices attached to the walls of the housing, such as valves and bolts or other connecting devices for holding the assembly of parts together, are tedious to disassemble and reassemble. In some of the prior art distribution manifolds, the dough divider blades are made so that they are movable to adjust the volume of dough passing to an outlet, and knobs or other devices for adjusting the internal divider blades extend through the walls of the distribution manifold. It is time consuming and difficult to remove the parts for inspection and cleaning and later reassemble the components and adjust them for continued operation. There may be crevices in which the remaining dough can reside after a run has been completed, and it is difficult for the maintenance personnel to reach the different crevices, angles and obstructions within the distribution manifold.
It is to these and other problems and improvements that this invention is directed.